Coronation of King Charles III

Introductory note

The coronation of HM King Charles III will be a joyful and historic national occasion. The Bench of Bishops of the Church in Wales wishes to encourage our churches to pray for the King, the Royal Family, our nation and the Commonwealth at this time and so is pleased to commend the liturgical resources which follow.

Some of the prayers are based on material published by the Church of England in 1977 to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s Silver Jubilee. These prayers were adopted at that time by the Church in Wales and published in bilingual format. It is hoped that the tone and content of these resources, in their adapted form, remain appropriate almost fifty years later. Some substantial changes have been made, for example through the inclusion of an entirely new text which offers prayer for the Senedd and for Westminster and recognises the constitutional nature of the British monarchy. The prayers are suitable for use at the Eucharist as well as at Morning and Evening Prayer.

The Church of England has produced many additional resources which can be found at: www.churchofengland.org/coronation.

The Welsh Bishops have also authorised a list of amendments to royal prayers within Church in Wales liturgies necessary following the accession of King Charles. These may be found at: Royal Prayers Amendment

Opening prayer (collect), adapted from resources produced by the Church of England and the Church in Wales to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s Silver Jubilee (1977) as well as a prayer from her Coronation (1953).

Almighty God, our heavenly Father,
bless Charles our King,
whose Coronation we now celebrate.
Help him to fulfil his responsibilities,
that by his influence
he may maintain unity, goodwill and peace
among his peoples
and that persevering in good works to the end,
he may, by your mercy, come to your everlasting kingdom;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.

Prayers of Intercession, adapted from resources produced by the Church of England and the Church in Wales to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s Silver Jubilee (1977)

THANKSGIVING AND INTERCESSIONS

Let us pray.

Heavenly Father, we give thanks for the wonder of creation, for the gift of human life and for the blessing of human fellowship; for Christ, your living Word, through whom we are taught the perfect way of life and the royalty of service; and for your Spirit, who brings forth the fruit of love, joy and peace. By your grace may we use your abundant gifts for the common good.
Lord, in your mercy:
Hear our prayer.

Today especially we pray for King Charles, for strength to serve our world-wide family of nations; for courage to defend the Faith in word and deed; for a spirit of devotion and duty; and for grace to care for his people.
Lord, in your mercy:
Hear our prayer.

Grant him and his family, we pray, your royal gifts of service; the vision of your will for our nation; wisdom to fulfil his vocation of leadership in a Commonwealth of many races; strength and courage to carry out the duties of his calling; and grant him always the assurance of your presence, your power, and your love.
Lord, in your mercy:
Hear our prayer.

We pray for those who serve us (in the name of the Crown) in our Senedd and in Westminster. We ask you to enlighten them with wisdom in all their decisions to seek the wellbeing of the communities they serve.
Lord, in your mercy:
Hear our prayer.

A Prayer for King Charles on his Coronation

Almighty God you govern heaven and earth
and your throne is steadfast and eternal:
give to your servant Charles our King,
having been anointed, enthroned and crowned to reign over us
the necessary graces/ gifts to fulfil his duties,
so that truth and justice,
holiness and integrity,
peace and love may increase in our land,
and that his life of service
may be a reflection of your sacrificial love
that we see in Jesus Christ our Lord,
who with you and Holy Spirit reigns one God,
now and forever. Amen.

A prayer of thanksgiving for King Charles’ service as Prince of Wales

Lord our God and king of the universe,
as we celebrate the coronation of Charles our King,
we give you thanks for his long years of sincere service to the people of this nation as Prince of Wales:
for his respect for our culture and rich heritage
for his vision and support for agriculture and rural life,
and for his passion and boldness in highlighting environmental concerns.
Crown him with your goodness and gracious favour
and grant him wisdom to use his gifts
in the service of the people of the United Kingdom [and Commonwealth]
that so nourishing the bonds of unity that build up your people
he may follow the example of the one
who came not to be served but to serve;
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A prayer for the Prince and Princess of Wales

Almighty God
who created a variety of nations, languages and cultures
in our world to enrich us all:
guide William and Catherine, Prince and Princess of Wales,
to fulfil their duties for the benefit of our nation,
by throwing a light on all that is good, worthy
and constructive in it.
May we also continue in the work of creating a fairer Wales,
and delight in the rich diversity of our communities;
through him who gave his life for the salvation of the world,
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Blessing (Taken from Times and Seasons (Part 3), Section 3.3.3)

God grant to the living, grace;
to the departed, rest;
to the Church, the King,
the Commonwealth, and all humankind,
peace and concord;
and to us and all his servants, life everlasting;

and the blessing …

Or:

May God who made the world establish justice and peace among the kingdoms of the earth. Amen.

May Christ, the Prince of Peace, grant to you his own peace; the peace the world cannot give. Amen.

May the Holy Spirit give wisdom, courage and understanding to all in authority and inspire us with them to serve the common good. Amen.

and the blessing …